Dragon's Bane
by Daestwen
Summary: *SLASH* Ron has made a deadly mistake, and Draco is going to make sure he pays for it.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Potions Class Author: Me (duh) rogue1221@hotmail.com Pairing: Just read it, and you'll see! Ron's in it, Snape's in it, Fred and George, Harry, and all the gang! Huzzah! (Not to mention Draco...) Warnings: None, except that this is slash, so if homosexuals offend you (Which they SHOULDN'T, you HOMOPHOBE!) just plain don't read it. Summary: Heh, I don't want to give it away! Let's just say that Snape's having a little fun in his potions class.... hehehehe.... Notes: PS. Karen - I'm aware that it is possibly one of the most predicable plots EVER, but (hehe) you can live with it.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"Mr. Weasley, if you don't want detention I advise you to WAKE UP IMMEDIATELY!" Snape's harsh voice broke into Ron's dream, and he was up like a shot, stiff and staring at the potions professor, who was shooting arrows into the 5th year student with his eyes. Harry, who was sitting (as usual) beside him, tried his hardest not to laugh, but Ron could hear Draco cracking up at the back of the room. Ron felt his cheeks slowly grow scarlet, and he damned himself for it.  
  
"Now that you are awake, Mr. Weasley," Snape went on, "You will be good enough to show the class exactly how to make the Luck Potion that I have just instructed on." Ron heard Draco laugh again, and silently damned the blonde beauty as well. However, with Snape glaring so fiercely at him, and the rest of the class watching, there was only one thing that he could do.  
  
"Yes, sir." He grumbled, and moved his hands toward the small pile of ingredients on the edge of the desk. It was true that he had absolutely no idea how to make the potion, but it was only the beginning of the year, and the Luck Potion was just a review, so he was sure it couldn't be that hard to make. He slowly picked up a piece of Dragon's bane, while his eyes searched the room for Hermione. But of course! She had been taken somewhere by McGonagal at the beginning of class! He had completely forgotten, and now he was entirely sure that he was in very deep trouble. Damning himself again, he prayed that whatever he ended up making wouldn't kill him. With a tap of a wand the water in his cauldron began to boil, and he added the ingredients as professionally as he could fake it. Everyone was silent, save for the snickering blonde in the back, and Ron felt a drop of sweat run down the side of his face. Damn these bloody potions, damn bloody Snape, and damn the bloody homework that had kept him up all night!  
  
He took a glance up at Snape and instantly regretted it, as the look on Snape's face was only pure amusement, and was possibly the worst sign that Ron was doing things completely wrong. He slowly stirred the ingredients into the cauldron, and was awarded by the mixture turning a dark purple and fizzing a little, a sure sign that whatever he had made was done. He let out a long breath, and only realised at that moment that he had been holding for the last few minutes.  
  
"Well." Snape said, a smirk upon his lips, "Weasley has done very well. but not for this class, I'm afraid." Ron gulped. "Please, Mr. Weasley, do us the benefit of seeing the effects of your potion."  
  
Ron looked at the cauldron; the once relieving dark shade of purple now seemed (to his eyes) a dangerous black. He paused, wondering if Snape would actually let him drink something that would kill him, and slowly picked up his vial. He dipped it into the potion, relieved at least to find that it did not eat or destroy it, and slowly brought the purple liquid to his mouth. He glanced once at Harry, and then at Snape, closed his eyes, and drank the potion like he was taking a shot of vodka.  
  
His eyes widened as the intense sweetness poured down his throat, and almost gagged. It was sweet to the point of bitterness, and even after he had swallowed it, Ron could still taste it in his mouth. He looked at Snape who seemed to be grinning (if that was possible) and felt that something was very, very, wrong.  
  
"Well, I think this worked well. Would you like to know what potion you just drank, Mr. Weasley?" Snape said, as Ron stared at him openly. He had never noticed.  
  
"Yes." Ron croaked.  
  
"Well, it tells you exactly what your . 'libido' is thinking." He smirked, "Anything you see that you like, for instance your potatoes for dinner tonight, will look exactly like who your prominent brain enjoys the most." Ron's eyes widened, "Which means, Mr. Weasley, anyone that you have even a small fancy for will look exactly like who you fancy the most. See a lot of Ms. Grangers, do you Mr. Weasley?"  
  
Everyone laughed, but Ron felt the doom slowly level onto his shoulders. For, as Ron had stared at his professor, he had realized just how much the teacher had reminded him of Harry.  
  
T.B.C.  
  
Endnotes: yes, yes, yes, very predicable, I know. It's not a Harry/Ron pairing, don't worry, but it will get. interesting. Yes, precious. 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Potions Class (Part 2/?) Author: Me (duh) rogue1221@hotmail.com Pairing: Just read it, and you'll see! Ron's in it, Snape's in it, Fred and George, Harry, and all the gang! Huzzah! (Not to mention Draco...) Warnings: None, except that this is slash, so if homosexuals offend you (Which they SHOULDN'T, you HOMOPHOBE!) just plain don't read it. Summary: Heh, I don't want to give it away! Let's just say that Snape's having a little fun in his potions class.... hehehehe.... Notes: PS. Karen - I'm aware that it is possibly one of the most predicable plots EVER, but (hehe) you can live with it.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Uh, just how long is this supposed to last, Proffesor?" Ron asked as Snape dismissed his class. Snape, who was now in a very (very scary) good mood, smirked at the redhead.  
  
"Oh. I'd say about a week? It depends. You put in a lot of Dragon's Bane in it, Mr. Weasley."  
  
"A week?" Ron felt his stomach drop.  
  
"About. Worried, Mr. Weasley? Maybe this will teach you not to sleep in my class again!"  
  
Ron, his spirits pummelling, sighed, said a short 'Yes, sir' and walked out of the dungeon to meet up with Harry in the hall. Harry was grinning, and Ron could tell that this was going to be a very long week.  
  
"So? Who is it?" Harry said as the two boys started down the hall.  
  
"Who what?" Ron played dumb. He wasn't up to this today.  
  
"Oh come off it Ron! We all heard Snape! Who do you see?"  
  
"No one." It was a pathetic lie, and Ron knew it was pathetic, and felt even more pathetic for saying it anyway.  
  
"Come on Ron, you can tell me at least."  
  
Ron's cheeks flushed without his consent. You're the only one I couldn't tell, Ron said silently to himself.  
  
Harry noticed his friends blush and grinned wider. "Come on, tell me!"  
  
"No." Ron whined.  
  
"Yeeeesss."  
  
"But -"  
  
"Just tell me!"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You can."  
  
"You'll tell."  
  
"Ron!"  
  
"Fine." Ron paused, and then mumbled, "Hermione."  
  
Harry laughed, falling for the lie. "I knew it!"  
  
"You're going to tell her!!" Ron said, blushing furiously but secretly glad that his friend believed it so easily.  
  
"I won't." Harry said seriously, and then couldn't help himself and began to laugh again, earning a glare from the redhead. As the two walked down the halls, Ron tried to preoccupy himself by making small talk, but soon just felt silent. His spirits were dropping into oblivion, as he passed more and more Harry Potter look-a-likes. He groaned, and shut his eyes. This was all a dream, all a horrible, horrible dream, and it was going to end NOW!  
  
But it didn't. Instead, he found himself seated beside Harry at the Gryffindor table for dinner, which didn't help because the corn that said on his plate had tiny little Harry heads all over it, and frankly made him want to gag. So it was that he was hugely relieved when Hermione walked into the hall. So relieved that, when he saw her, he leapt from his seat and cried out her name in pure desperation. She raised an eyebrow and took the seat across from him.  
  
"Ron?" She said with a slightly questioning tone, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Please, please, PLEASE tell me there is a cure! Please!" His eyes were wide and desperate, and he was very aware that she looked nothing like Harry at all, which was much to his relief.  
  
"A cure to what?" She asked, with a slight glance at Harry, who grinned at her.  
  
"Ron fell asleep in potions." Harry replied, still grinning, which earned him a kick from Ron under the table. Harry winced, but Hermione didn't seem to notice as she turned back to Ron.  
  
"Again? You're hopeless! And then you always complain that you will never pass your final! Of COURSE you won't, you never STUDY."  
  
"It's not THAT." Ron said desperately, "Snape saw and made me make the potion, only I didn't know how, so I made it wrong, but he made me drink it anyway, and anything that I REMOTELY like looks exactly like - -" But at that point he managed to stop himself from saying 'Harry' and merely gave a pathetic dog-whimper look, and mumbled, "Who I really like."  
  
"Oh! You actually made it?" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Yes..?" Ron said quietly, slowly getting confused.  
  
"I did a project on it for my advanced Potions, that's all. It's not easy to make, I'm surprised you managed to do it."  
  
"That's not the point! Tell me how to fix it! What's the cure?"  
  
"Oh, there is none."  
  
Ron let out a very long groan, and dropped his head into his arms upon the table.  
  
"Why," Hermione continued with a small smirk upon her lips, "Who do you see?"  
  
Ron lifted his head just enough to glare sufficiently at Hermione, while Harry snickered in the background.  
  
"I'm going to BED." Ron said grouchily, grabbing his books and standing up from the table.  
  
"Oh, come on Ron, we're only - -"  
  
"BED." Ron said again, interrupting Harry mid-sentence. He left the table quickly, but did not make it to the Gryffindor common room. Realising that a quick trip to the bathroom was a much better idea, he turned down the hall to the nearest boy's bathroom and stepped in. When he stepped out, however, he nearly ran into Harry.  
  
"Oh, sorry Harry. Didn't see you there."  
  
Harry blinked at him, frowned, and then slowly smiled, all unbeknownst to Ron, who was busily picking up the books that he had dropped in surprise.  
  
"Why are you here?" Harry asked as Ron stood up once again.  
  
"Uh, nature called. Didn't quite make it to the common room." Ron answered sheepishly, vaguely aware that Harry's green eyes were extremely intense this close up. Had he ever noticed before?  
  
A small smile played on Harry's lips for a second, before widening.  
  
"Doesn't matter, I wanted to talk to you anyway."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"You don't see Hermione, do you?" Harry asked quietly, and Ron was suddenly very aware that Harry was a little too intense to be normal, and suddenly realized his horrible mistake.  
  
"Go away, Draco." Ron said, his voice cracking, but he already knew he was in too much trouble.  
  
T.B.C. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Potions Class (Part 3/?) Author: Me (duh) rogue1221@hotmail.com Pairing: If you can't tell by now, I'm certainly not going to flat out TELL you. Warnings: None, except that this is slash, so if homosexuals offend you (Which they SHOULDN'T, you HOMOPHOBE!) just plain don't read it. Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is a god. Period. Summary: Heh, I don't want to give it away! Let's just say that Snape's having a little fun in his potions class.... hehehehe....  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"No, I don't think I will." Draco had his eyes locked on Ron as he spoke. "I know who you see, and I know it's not Hermione like you told Potter after Potions."  
  
"Leave me alone, Draco, or you'll regret it." Ron spat, glaring fiercly, and all too aware of the perfect likeness of Harry before him. God damn blast his eyes!  
  
"Regret it? I don't think that's possible, Weasley." Draco smirked, "I think I have you in the palm of my hand at the moment. Would you like to know why?"  
  
Ron didn't reply. He could feel his life ending, doom descending, and silently wished that he could just die where he stood. Draco, however, needed no motivation to continue.  
  
"Because, Weasley, you've proven to me that you have a. how shall I put this? . . . 'Thing' for our little Potter. And, Weasley, you've also proven that you have a little 'thing' for me." The smirk spread wider across Draco's face, and Ron feared the worst. He was cornered, now. With one of Draco's hands on both shoulders and pinned to the wall. He could kick out and escape, but then Draco would tell Harry. And though he was sure Harry wouldn't believe him, he was equally sure that Draco would somehow prove it.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I want to torture you, Weasley." Draco spat, suddenly vicious, "I want to make you pay for everything you've ever done. And everything that your little precious Potter has done. I will make your life so miserable, that for a week you'll wish that you've never been born!"  
  
Ron gulped, but said nothing.  
  
"Now," Draco said, his voice calmer though with no less malice, "We have to figure out what to do with you. How can I make you promise not to run to your precious Potter? Oh, that's easy enough. I suppose you can't really tell him, now can you? But you could tell Hermione, couldn't you?"  
  
Ron didn't reply. But he knew it was his only choice. Hermione would help him. She had to.  
  
"But you won't tell Hermione, Weasley. Do you want to know why?"  
  
Again, silence.  
  
"The reason, Weasley, is because I will be watching you. And the minute you tell Hermione, I'll tell Potter."  
  
I'm doomed. Ron's heart sank.  
  
Draco grinned, watching Ron sink more and more into depression - right where he wanted him. He paused.  
  
"I think I'll let you be, tonight. Tomorrow it will begin. Tomorrow, Weasley, will be your end - and my beginning!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Ron, you can tell me what's wrong." Harry said, his head cocked to the right as he sat on his four-poster bed. Ron had been quiet the entire night, lying on his bed and merely looking at the ceiling, a look of doom upon his face. Harry cupped his face in his hands and sighed as he looked at his red-headed friend.  
  
"It can't be that bad. Tell me what happened. Was it something to do with Hermione?"  
  
"No." Ron finally said, though said nothing more, and did not look at Harry as he spoke.  
  
"Then what is it about?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You're lying."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, you shouldn't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because it's lying! You just shouldn't!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Ron, come on, just tell me!"  
  
"There's nothing to tell."  
  
"Then why are you so depressed?"  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"You are!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Fine." Harry said finally, sick of the conversation which was going nowhere. He could feel himself growing angry, though he knew he shouldn't be. He lay back down upon his bed. "I won't bother you, then. Just - Ron - if something is bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?"  
  
"I know." Came back Ron's reply, and both boys became silent, soon the only noises the light sound of their breathing.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hullo, Ron." It was just after breakfast, and Ron was walking alone to Herbolgoy - a class he was not looking forward to. Double class with Slytherin was not exactly his idea of fun.  
  
"Hullo, Harry." Ron said, then paused, groaned, and corrected himself, "Malfoy."  
  
Draco grinned viciously. "You're so easy, Weasley, I really will have to take advantage of this one day - oh - no - wait, how about now?" He smirked, and Ron sighed. "Oh, I know what I want to make you do now, and aren't we going to have fun!"  
  
Ron sighed. "What, then?"  
  
"Do you know what we're studying in Herbology today?" Draco asked, and Ron was quickly learning to fear the grin that the blonde readily wore.  
  
"No." Ron said quietly.  
  
"Nuff Trees!" Draco exclaimed, bringing an arm to rest around Ron's shoulders. The touch made Ron shiver with dread. "And," Draco continued, his face leaning forward so he was only a couple of inches from Ron's face, "Do you know what Nuff Trees are, Weasley?"  
  
"No, I don't." Ron said, still walking but stiff as a broomstick. He was not going to enjoy this. No, he was not.  
  
"Most of the time people call them 'hugging trees'. Do you know why?"  
  
"They hug people.?" Ron put in lamely. Draco grinned.  
  
"Exactly! And today, Weasley, you are going to make sure you're 'hugged' by one."  
  
"Why?" Ron asked warily, he was sure this couldn't be all of it.  
  
"Because there is only one way to save someone from a Nuff tree, and you can be sure only Harry will do it." He grinned. "You, my little friend, will help me get my revenge. This is the start of a very wonderful relationship, I'd say."  
  
Draco laughed as he walked away, but Harry soon caught up to Ron. He didn't look happy.  
  
"What was Malfoy doing?" Harry asked. He had seen (though not heard) the last few minutes of the conversation, and saw the depression settle in Ron's shoulders.  
  
"He was just bugging me. Being bloody hell, that's all. Usual."  
  
Harry frowned. "He seemed very pleased with himself. You should stand up to him next time."  
  
Ron shrugged, but said nothing.  
  
They arrived in Herbology a little while later, and took their normal places near Hermione. That was when Professor Sprout introduced the Nuff Tree. At first glance, it looked like a half-dead gnarled oak tree, until one realized that it was moving. The reason the bark looked gnarled was because you couldn't see the bark at all. What you thought was the bark was actually the massive amount of vines - all writhing around the trunk like snakes. Ron realized just why Draco was grinning so very broadly, and wished that the blonde boy would just fall over and die. He didn't listen to Sprout as she rambled on about healing medicines made from it, just thought about his ultimate demise at the hands of one Draco Malfoy.  
  
He managed to sneak a glance at Draco, who was grinning as he looked at the Nuff tree. Sprout split them into groups, and Harry, Ron and Dean were all looking at the tree that they had to take a flower from. A flower which was gripped by the vines. Ron knew that he had to do it. He knew that life would end as he knew it if Harry found out, and Draco could make his life a living hell within a matter of minutes. He had to get hugged - and he didn't feel very well.  
  
He stepped forward towards the tree, wand in one hand, and an extremely stupid idea in his head. He leaned forward, grazing the flower with his fingers and - - tripped. He had done it on purpose, but he still cried out as he hit the tree with a 'thunk', feeling the vines shift underneath him. He was already within them before he knew what had happened.  
  
"AGH!!" He cried out, in genuine surprise, but the vines had lashed around his head so that it came out more like a 'GRM'. With an oddly sane thought, he realised that it reminded of his first year in the clutches of the Devil's Snare. Only the Nuff tree was. purring?  
  
Everyone had gathered around the tree now, jaws dropped and worried frowns all around. Harry was shouting at the Professor, but Ron couldn't hear anything. Sprout calmly said something back, and Harry rolled up his sleeves, shooting a glare at Malfoy, as he seemed to be laughing rather loudly (though not to Ron's ears). Ron could only see Harry out of the corner of his eye, and was slowly being distracted by the increasingly loud purring plant. This was, he reflected, much too bizarre for him.  
  
Then it started to laugh. At least, one could call it a laugh. It was more like a husky wheezing, but the plant was laughing, and Ron could feel the vines start to loosen their hold on him. He struggled, desperate to get loose, but stole a glimpse at Harry. He was - - - tickling the plant?  
  
Finally, with one last throaty laugh from the plant, Ron was thrown backwards, and right into Harry, and the two boys landed unceremoniously upon the floor. Ron shuddered as he tried to stand up, Seamus giving him a hand. He didn't need to look at Draco to know that he was pleased, and the idea of Draco being pleased made Ron glower at nothing in particular.  
  
Professor Sprout soon let the class out, and during the mad rush for the door, Ron felt Draco slice by him, Harry-looking as ever.  
  
"2nd floor washroom, right after History." Draco said in a low tone, making sure that Harry didn't hear, and then left Ron alone again.  
  
Hell had just begun for Ron, and oh, didn't he know it.  
  
T.B.C. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, I don't know JK Rowling, and as she is god I'm sure she will punish me somehow anyway, so no need to sue.  
  
Warning: There is a bit of Slash in this part, sorry, couldn't help it.  
  
Please R&R!  
  
~*~  
  
It was a very gloomy Ron Weasley that stepped into the second floor washroom that afternoon. He was sulking, because he knew that Draco had something particularly evil planned for him, and he thought that Hermione had begun to guess who he was actually seeing. The glances she had given him throughout History of Magic had not helped.  
  
"My, my, look who's here." Draco said, though he sounded so very much like Harry. Ron turned, seeing the image of his friend and yet knowing that it was his enemy - this was such a horrible way to die.  
  
"What's this about, Malfoy?" Ron spat viciously, wishing that he was powerful JUST so that he could kill the blonde boy before him.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Draco said, an amused smile playing on his lips as he shook his head, "You harbor so much malice! I just got that from McGonagal, do you like it?"  
  
Ron merely glared at him.  
  
Draco sighed. "Very well. I have your next task for you! Though, I don't know if you'd be able to do it . . ."  
  
"I could do anything you set me to do Draco, and you know it. I will beat you at this game, I swear it. I will not give in!" Ron growled.  
  
Draco grinned. "Very well! You know about the Halloween dinner Friday night, right?"  
  
Ron narrowed his eyes. He sensed trouble. "Yes . . ." He replied cautiously.  
  
"I want you to go in drag!" Draco exclaimed, beaming with pleasure at his own sneakiness. Ron's jaw dropped.  
  
"You MUST be joking." Ron cried.  
  
"Nope! Go in drag, Weasley, or Potter will know!" Draco's face wore an evil, sardonic grin, and Ron wanted to punch it off his face.  
  
"Fine! Fine! At least it's Halloween!" Ron cried, and started to head towards the door.  
  
"Wait!" Draco said maliciously, a hand grabbing the redhead's shoulder. Ron knew the worst was yet to come, "That's not it."  
  
Ron turned around almost violently, glaring at Draco.  
  
"What then?"  
  
"You have to sing."  
  
"Whaaaaaat????"  
  
"Sing! You have to, or I'll tell Potter!"  
  
"What, now? Are you mad?"  
  
"No! At Halloween, you daft!"  
  
"I am NOT singing."  
  
The boys glared at each other.  
  
"Then you have to make it up to me, or I'll tell him!"  
  
"Fine, but I'm not singing! What do you want?"  
  
Draco looked at Ron for a minute, then the sardonic grin slowly returned.  
  
"If you won't sing. . . then I want a kiss as payment."  
  
Ron meant to yell 'WWWHHHAAAATTT???', but all he could do there was stand with his mouth gaping like a fish. Malfoy *was* insane. He knew it. He was surprised however, when he was an expression on Draco's face that he couldn't remember ever seeing before - hurt. But the blonde covered it up so quickly that Ron nearly though he had imagined it.  
  
"You know you want to, Weasley, or why else would I look so much like Potter to you?" Draco spat.  
  
Ron couldn't help himself - his cheeks went scarlet.  
  
"I will not kiss you!"  
  
"You will, or Potter will know!"  
  
"I won't!"  
  
"Fine. I better go find your precious Harry . . ."  
  
Draco started to shove past him, but Ron stopped him.  
  
"No! Don't!" He cried, and Draco stopped, his eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at the redhead. "I'll . . . I'll . . . you know, but you can't tell Harry!"  
  
Draco grinned at the desperation in the boy's voice.  
  
"Good. Go on, then." He crossed his arms and looked at Ron, who was at this point very scarlet.  
  
"Uh. . . I'd rather if . . . if *you* went. You go first, and I can just stand here." He looked very pathetic as he said this, and he felt even more pathetic. Draco sighed.  
  
"Fine." Draco stepped forward, standing just before Ron, their faces only a few inches apart. The tall redhead stood at least three inches above him, but Draco didn't care. He was getting his revenge.  
  
So, instead of leaning up like a girl, he viciously grabbed Ron's collar and dragged him down to him. It was oddly painful, Ron thought as Draco's mouth smashed into his, the blonde as trying so hard to make it such a hateful kiss. But, Ron privately noted, it was a kiss.  
  
When Draco finally released Ron, the redhead knew his lips would be bruised. And there was a cut on his bottom lip. Draco, apparently, liked to use his teeth. Ron's brows furrowed as he looked at Draco, his hand rising unconsciously the cut to scrub off the blood.  
  
Draco very piously wiped his own mouth, then grinned at Ron maliciously.  
  
"See you on Halloween, Weasley." He said, then shoved past a very confused Ron Weasley.  
  
T.B.C. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Again, not mine, don't sue.  
  
~*~  
  
"You want to borrow a *dress*?" Asked a very surprised Hermione Granger as she cocked an eyebrow at her friend. Ron was very red, and indeed, looked as though he was about to explode any second.  
  
"Yesssss.." He said, desperately hoping she would not ask to much more into it, but of course, being Hermione, she did.  
  
"Sure, but, why on earth do you want it?"  
  
"Ihavetowearit." Ron mumbled. Hermione's eyebrow arched higher.  
  
"You want to what?"  
  
"Wear it! Just give me the bloody thing, will you???" Ron cried, sincerely displeased that he even had to reveal this much to Hermione. He had no clue how he would survive the rest of the night.  
  
"Wear it? I know it's Halloween, but. . . A dress . . . Ron, is there anything going on I should know about?"  
  
Yes!! Ron's mind screamed, but his mouth cried "No!!"  
  
Hermione's brow furrowed slightly. "You sure?" She said softly.  
  
"Yes, now just hand over that bloody dress! I have to know if it fits, otherwise I'll have to find another one, and dinner starts in an hour!!"  
  
"Alright! Alright! Which one do you want? My blue one from last year?"  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"No, no, we can't put that on you. Not with red hair."  
  
"I'll colour it! Just gimme a goddamned dress!"  
  
"Here." She handed him the blue dress and Ron held it out in front of him, several things running through his mind. 1) He was not going to get through this alive, 2) Blue didn't go with his hair, 3) He had no clue how to get into the dress, and 4) Draco was going to laugh his ass off.  
  
"I don't think this'll fit . . ." Ron said quietly, and Hermione shook her head and brought out her want.  
  
"I can enlarge it a bit. Dominus Strensurus." She said, and the dress grew a few sizes larger. It now appeared that Ron would at least be able to get into it.  
  
"Do you mind?" Ron said, and Hermione turned around with a roll of her eyes so that Ron could worm his way into the shiny blue fabric. "There, I'm done." He said grudgingly. Hermione turned, and nearly choked trying to hold back the laugh. He had it on backwards. She told him so.  
  
"Shaddup." Ron said, glaring, and promptly turned the dress around.  
  
"Um, Ron. We'll have to do something about that."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Well. The front. It's. baggy. You don't exactly have. how do I put this? . . . The right 'figure' to wear that dress.  
  
Ron went scarlet.  
  
"Oh." He mumbled.  
  
"Here, we can fix it." Hermione said, and ran up to her room, leaving Ron alone in the deserted common room in a dress. She came back down with a bra in her hands.  
  
"HERMIONE!"  
  
"Calm down! If you wear it underneath, we can stuff it. Here, put it on."  
  
Ron looked at the bra, but didn't reach out for it. He then looked up at Hermione, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
"You're actually *enjoying* this, aren't you?"  
  
"Ron, stop being silly! Just put it on!"  
  
Ron snatched the bra from her hands, and glared at Hermione until she turned around.  
  
"You can look now."  
  
Hermione turned again, and found Ron to be a particularly amusing sight. The dress was undone to the waist, and was hanging from it, whereas the bra was slightly crooked the way he wore it on his chest. Hermione couldn't help but start laughing.  
  
"Come on, Hermione! Just help me!" Ron said, exasperated.  
  
"Here, I'll turn something into Jello for you. It'll make them look more real."  
  
"Hermione!!"  
  
"What? You want fake looking ones?"  
  
"That's not what I meant! I am NOT wearing a jell-filled bra!!"  
  
"Fine! We can use napkins or towels or something then. I'll go get some." She ran upstairs, and came back with a few scraps of different materials, and Ron frantically tried to stuff them into the bra.  
  
"It looks a little lopsided. . ." Hermione said worriedly.  
  
"No one'll notice, and if anyone *does* notice, it means they've been looking at my chest, so I'll punch them anyway!"  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
Ron zipped up the rest of the dress, and was pleased to see that at least it fit. However, the hair was going to be a problem.  
  
"Well, I bet I could find a spell to transform my teddy bear into a wig. . ." Hermione volunteered.  
  
"Alright." Ron said uneasily, and the two went to work on finding Ron a new head of hair.  
  
~*~  
  
When Ron finally made it down to dinner, he was the talk of the town. No matter where he walked, people burst into fits of giggles, and it was actually quite the demoralizing gesture.  
  
His hair, now, was black, cut short at his shoulders, and due to some help in the make-up department from the other Gryffindor girls, his freckles were gone and he had the works: Eye liner, lipstick, eye shadow, blush and mascara. It was enough to make the once red-haired boy want to cry.  
  
He had managed to avoid Harry, but had run into Fred and George on the way down, and had a feeling the twins would never let him live this down. Damn that Draco Malfoy!  
  
However, he did end up running into Harry when he was forced to sit beside him at dinner.  
  
"I'm sorry, but Ron sits - - RON!?!?!" Harry cried, finally seeing his friend as he sat down.  
  
"Be quiet Harry. . ." Ron pleaded, and knew what was about to happen, just like it always did - - - Harry began to laugh. Hard.  
  
"Harry! Stoppit!" Ron cried. He could not take this. Please, dear god, he prayed, Let me die now. . .  
  
Harry tried to stifle his giggles, but it didn't really work, and instead he made a sort of snorting noise through his hand - which only depressed Ron further.  
  
Dinner, Ron reflected, was not very fun. Simply because he knew that the entire great hall was staring at him. It did not help that when Ron turned around, he could openly see Snape giving him the oddest look, as if to say: 'I knew you were an idiot, but not to this extent'.  
  
Ron wondered which would be less painful, jumping off a roof or stabbing one's self through the heart.  
  
He hadn't seen Draco throughout the dinner, but just as he stood to take his leave, his eyes glanced over the table, and he nearly screamed in glee. For, instead of seeing a Harry look-a-like sitting between Crabbe and Goyle, he saw Draco Malfoy. The blonde, perfectly measured and ultimately evil Draco Malfoy.  
  
Ron was cured.  
  
T.B.C. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Well, I wrote it, but I didn't make up the characters, ect. Oh, you know what I mean! Please R&R!  
  
~*~  
  
Draco had been having one of the most successful dinners that he could remember. Not only had he seen Ron decked out in Hermione's blue dress, but he had also had several of the 3rd and 4th year Slytherin females flirting with him. Which amused him greatly, though he didn't really take any of it seriously.  
  
He, the devious Draco, had other things on his mind. He was currently pondering just how far he could push Ron, and how much pressure it would take to make the redhead break. That was why he was extremely surprised when he was startled by sudden screams erupting from the Gryffindor table. He looked over, and saw Ron jumping up and down , screaming in what appeared to be glee.  
  
"Whadda idiot." Crabbe muttered, and received a 'hyuck yuck' laugh from Goyle in return. Draco frowned. He was sure that he had made Ron miserable to this point, why would the Gryffindor suddenly be happy? It didn't make any sense. . .  
  
He watched in confusion as Ron continued to do a little dance, and it seemed to amuse Harry and Hermione highly. Draco could feel his blood start to boil. He was going to figure out what this was about. NOW.  
  
"Crabbe, Goyle, follow me." Draco said, and the two moronic males looked dumbly at each other, and stood. Draco sighed inwardly. At least they didn't ask too many stupid questions.  
  
Content that his two dogs were following, Draco stalked his way over to the Gryffindor table, and smirked when the laughing stopped as he approached.  
  
"My, my, my." Draco said nastily, "Now we not only have a Ginny Weasley, but a Ronny as well!"  
  
Ron, however, was now much too pleased by this turn off events to allow Draco to bother him, so merely said: "Good for you, Draco" and took off, down the hall. Harry and Hermione followed soon after, leaving Draco defeated and alone at the Gryffindor table. And at that moment, the blonde beauty felt like jumping up and down in a blind rage. Happily, he did not, and turned to stalk off to the Slytherin common room, his dogs following behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
Draco was moody that night. He had been defeated, though he did not know why or how. Why wasn't Ron afraid of him anymore? Did he think Draco was bluffing? Oooooh, but it made Draco mad. He needed to know why Weasley was happy, and he needed to know as soon as possible, so he made plans.  
  
Potions was the next class the two boys had together, and Draco spent the entire period glaring at Ron. Ron didn't fall asleep, he smiled, joked with Harry, blew up his potion, and everything that he normally did in the average potions class! It was enough to drive Draco insane! Ron should have been depressed, melancholy. He should have been pleading for death, for mercy, for anything! But not *this*! Not this normal nonsense!  
  
That's when it hit him. Only one thing could of happened. The potion must have worn off. That would explain *everything*. However, Draco was too smart to trust on instincts alone. He would have to corner Ron. See if his hypothesis was right. . . And if it was. . . He would have to think of something.  
  
He waited as the endless minutes ticked by, not concentrating on the potion he had already completely mauled the directions to, and instead watching Snape and Ron with a fearsome intensity.  
  
"Clean up and you are dismissed." Snape said finally, and Draco took action.  
  
"Destructious Larcius." Draco whispered, his wand hid in his sleeve, and suddenly - - -  
  
KABOOM!  
  
"AGH!" Ron cried, falling backwards as his cauldron exploded.  
  
"MR. WEASLEY!" Snape cried, "CLEAN UP THAT MESS! DETENTION AFTER LAST PERIOD! TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Draco grinned his famous, evil, and sardonic grin.  
  
He heard Ron grumble, as he began to clean up the mess of the exploded pot (which, luckily, had been almost cleaned of the potion within it). Harry walked over to help, but Snape snapped at him.  
  
"Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley can clean his own mess! You are dismissed!" So Harry grudgingly left, with a short 'See you in the common room' to Ron.  
  
Draco left a minute later, walked a little bit down the hall, and waited behind a giant stone statue for Ron to appear. It took about twenty minutes, but twenty minutes that Draco knew was worth it, and when he heard Ron come down the hall, he stepped out in front of him.  
  
"Why, hello, Mr. Weasley!" Draco said, maliciously cheerful.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron spat. Apparently his good mood was gone.  
  
"Just a chat. . . I have your next tas---"  
  
"I'm not doing anything else for you, Malfoy." Ron interrupted. Draco knew then that he was right.  
  
"Well, Potter will be happ---"  
  
"You've lost your proof. It wore off. Now sod off, or I'll make sure that you won't be able to stand for a week!"  
  
"So I'm not Harry to you anymore am I? Pity. . ."  
  
"Get out of my way."  
  
"No, I don't think I will. It still happened, Weasley. I could still tell him. And I'm not done with you yet." Draco scowled with the last words, but they didn't seem to effect Ron anymore.  
  
"It doesn't matter. You have no proof anymore. Out of my way." Ron tried to push past Draco, but the surprisingly strong Slytherin shoved Ron back, making him fall to the floor.  
  
"I do have proof! I bet he'd *love* to know where you got the cut on your lip, Weasley."  
  
"I fell." Ron said stubbornly from his postion on the floor. Draco walked over and squatted above him.  
  
"No you didn't. And I bet he'd be very interested to know why you were in drag for Halloween. . ."  
  
"He won't believe you." Ron said, but Draco could hear the waver in the boy's voice. He was breaking. . . Draco was winning.  
  
"Oh, he will. Why would I lie when the truth is oh so much more fun?"  
  
"I don't want to play your games anymore! Now gerroff!" He tried to push Draco off him, but the blonde pinned down both Ron's arms with his hands.  
  
"You have to play. You don't have a choice. I'm not done, and I'll get what I want, Weasley. You know I do."  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"I don't think I'll break you now. . ." Draco said, but didn't release Ron. "I think I'll have some more fun, but I have to think about a suitable punishment for this little rebellion. . . Meet me in the boy's bathroom again tomorrow before dinner. . . And if you do anything I don't like before then, Weasley, be sure that the meeting will not be fun for you."  
  
He stood up, finally letting Ron go, and the redhead sprang up instantly. However, it didn't matter, as Draco was already stalking off down the hall.  
  
T.B.C. 


	7. Chapter 7

~*~ By the time Ron got back to the common room, he was not in a pleasant mood. Harry had Quidditch practice, so Ron was looking forward to being able to merely sit on his bed and glower at the wall. That, however, was not exactly the case, as Fred, George, and Lee surrounded him the minute he walked into the common room. And they were grinning. Ron, in return, groaned.  
  
"What do you want?" Ron asked, exasperation in his voice.  
  
"We want to know what's up with you." Said Fred.  
  
"Why you dress up like girls," George continued.  
  
"And scream a lot,"  
  
"And why, why oh why, you hang out with Draco."  
  
Ron blanched.  
  
"Why do I what?" He stammered.  
  
Fred grinned. "Just kidding, Ronnie-poo! You may not be bright, but you have more brains than to hang out with *that* git."  
  
"We only really wanted to know why you were in a dress." George added.  
  
"As we thought it was possibly the funniest thing we've ever seen." Lee chirped.  
  
"Uh. Uh." Ron's face was slowly going from paper white, to a very deep maroon.  
  
"Watch out Ron, or you'll match Mum's sweaters next!" Fred sniggered.  
  
"Come on, you can tell us! We're your brothers!" George said, added a light punch into Ron's shoulder for emphasis.  
  
"It was. uh. Hermione dared me." That, Ron noted to himself, was the worst lie ever.  
  
The three other boys just laughed, and Ron found he *did* in fact match his maroon sweater.  
  
"What are you guys laughing about?" Asked Hermione, who was walking down the stairs. All four of them turned, and while three grinned, the forth one looked as if he would die.  
  
"Hello, Hermione!" Fred chirped merrily.  
  
"Hullo, Fred." She replied, giving him a weird, lopsided look. George put an arm around Ron's shoulders.  
  
"Just looking after ickle Ronnie-kins!" He said, then laughed and disappeared through the portrait hole, swiftly followed by Fred and Lee. Ron, just as he was about to make his own escape, heard Hermione's voice behind him.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
"Nothing." Ron said quickly.  
  
"You don't have to lie to me, Ron." Hermione said, her voice suddenly very quiet, "I know that something is up."  
  
Oh, dear lord no.  
  
"No, there's not! I'm fine, really."  
  
"No you aren't. I'm going to ask a question, and you are going to answer it truthfully. Understand?"  
  
Ron squirmed.  
  
"Why did you wear a dress on Halloween?"  
  
"I . . . I . . . uh . . . well . . ." He paused, let out a long slow breath, and allowed doom to come. "Malfoy ordered it." He said quietly.  
  
Hermione let out a sudden, barking laugh. That was, until she realised her friend was being serious.  
  
"Draco? You're serious? He asked you to go in a dress and you did?"  
  
"Yesss.."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I didn't really have much of a choice." He said slowly, feeling like he was trying to battle something in molasses. In January. In acid-based molasses.  
  
"You didn't have much of a choice?" Hermione's voice was rising in pitch, and Ron waved his arms frantically to try to calm her down. "If that prat is giving you problems, Ron, by god I'll go have a word with him myself! Harry and I can't let you - -"  
  
"No!" Ron cried, his voice sounding more like a squeal. "You can't tell Harry. And you can't do anything. I can sort this out for myself. If you get involved, it'll only make it worse."  
  
"But I can help you! Why don't you just tell me what is going on?"  
  
Ron was exasperated. "I caaaan't." He moaned.  
  
"Ron, why? Just tell me!"  
  
Ron looked at her for a moment, and gauged her face. She was worried, and her worry made him feel guilty. Maybe I can tell her something . . . Ron thought to himself, and sighed. She already knew most of it, just not all.  
  
"Malfoy, he . . . He found out who I was seeing when I was under that potion."  
  
"What, me?"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Oh, Harry told me."  
  
"He told? He promised he wouldn't!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ron . . ."  
  
"No, no, it's fine. I lied, anyway. I didn't see you. If I did, Malfoy probably wouldn't care."  
  
He let the silence hang in the air a moment.  
  
"If you didn't see me," Hermione said slowly, "Who did you see?"  
  
Ron turned fire-engine red, and when he answered, his voice was so low and so small that Hermione almost thought she didn't hear it.  
  
"Harry . . ."  
  
Hermione's eyes widened.  
  
"Har - - - does that mean - - - are you -?"  
  
"Yes." Ron said, more firmly and with more conviction than he felt. In fact, he felt more like jell-o. An icky, dribbling, melting square of Jell- O.  
  
Hermione's hand went to her mouth slowly. "Oh, Ron . . . I didn't - I never - Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
Ron gave her a look that plainly said 'Why do you think I never told you?'  
  
"But . . . How did Draco find out?"  
  
Ron didn't answer.  
  
"You didn't . . . He didn't look like Harry, did he?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione cried, and threw her arms around him, startling the red head so much that he fell backwards onto the ground.  
  
"What are you going to do?" She asked, "We could . . . We should tell Harry . . ."  
  
"NO." Ron said immediately. "If I wanted Harry to know, I would have let Draco tell him long ago. Harry's my best friend and I . . . I don't want to ruin that."  
  
"Then what are you going to do?"  
  
"I have to meet Malfoy tomorrow . . . I'll figure out what to do before then . . ."  
  
"Ron, was the dress thing the only thing he made you do?"  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"No. The Nuff tree thing . . . And he . . . He . . ." He couldn't bring himself to say it.  
  
"He what?"  
  
"He . . . Oh, you know. He . . . uh . . . snogged me."  
  
"He what?"  
  
"I didn't want him too!" Ron cried in defence, until he saw that Hermione was grinning. "Oh dear . . . What are you thinking?"  
  
"If he snogged you, then he must have a reason, right? You know, a romantic reason."  
  
Ron blanched. He decided not to mention the cut on his lip.  
  
Hermione's eyes were alight, and it scared Ron slightly.  
  
"If he has intentions like that, Ron, we can turn them around on him!! Do you own any leather pants?"  
  
"Oh, dear god . . . Hermione . . ."  
  
"You, my dear Ron, and going to give him exactly what he wants, and prove it's exactly the wrong thing form him."  
  
This, Ron thought, would get ugly.  
  
~*~ 


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note  
  
Due to many reasons, I have been unable to work on this fic. Primarily, school has at the moment taken up all my time. If any of you follow my other stories, you will have noticed I have fallen behind on them too. I apologize, and beg your patience, because it may be a bit longer yet, but I haven't forgotten, and am actually trying to finish it (this promises to be the last chapter).  
  
Yours,  
  
Daestwen 


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